Native campaign playback: timing, black images, cache and schedule differences

What this does

Identify the Player platform and delivery path before changing a campaign. Native campaign rendering and web playback do not have identical duration, scheduling or media-failure behavior.

Steps

1. Identify Android native campaign playback, Linux campaign playback, or a web/module path.
2. Compare the assigned content and Player clock with the platform-specific notes below.
3. Check connectivity and whether the affected media was successfully cached.
4. Give Support the Player name, app version, affected asset and approximate failure time if the issue persists; do not share playback URLs or credentials.

Why duration or audio differs from Admin

In the inspected Android native media path, a positive asset duration starts a timer that advances the playlist; video auto-rewind and volume are separate settings. In the inspected Linux campaign path, each loaded asset is assigned eight seconds independently of the Admin duration, and video completion can advance earlier. Linux video markup is muted. Repeatedly changing the Admin duration is not a proven fix for that Linux path. Ask Support to confirm the actual renderer and version before relying on timing or audio parity.

Android black image despite a media URL

The inspected Android native image path displays an existing local cached file. Its remote-image fallback currently paints a black surface rather than downloading and displaying the remote image. A valid URL alone therefore does not prove playback in this branch. Check network/cache completion and the affected asset; ask Support to investigate recurring black images. This is not a statement about the WebView path and is not a reason to expose private media URLs.

A playback error is not an automatic retry promise

Android's native video error listener records an error; that callback does not itself retry or advance the asset. A separate positive-duration timer may still advance normally. Do not infer unsupported format solely from a black screen or promise that every media failure skips immediately. Record the asset, Player version and time for Support; device/codec reproduction is still required.

Cached and online fallback media are different

The Linux campaign loader skips missing asset records and missing media URLs. If local caching throws, it retains the remote URL, which still requires connectivity. An empty campaign asset list shows Waiting for assigned campaigns. Verify the assigned scope/content first, then connectivity; persistent missing data or caching faults need Support investigation. Do not publish the diagnostic identifiers shown beside native waiting/error states in customer screenshots.

Do not assume native overnight and time-zone parity

The inspected Linux scheduler uses the Player's local date/time, instant start/end bounds and per-day windows before shared windows. A window requires the current time to be after its start and before its end; a single cross-midnight window does not use the Admin helper's wraparound rule. Android's separately reviewed native schedule helper also lacks that wraparound behavior. Ask Support to verify the actual path and clock for a Friday-night discrepancy; an Admin preview is not native schedule acceptance.

Permissions and scope

• Read access can inspect available Player details. Changes require the applicable Player/campaign editor permission and selected location. Escalate persistent runtime differences to Support rather than changing unrelated production settings.

Mobile

• These are display-runtime behaviors, not mobile Admin layout instructions. Mobile Admin access does not simulate Android TV playback.

What happens next

Your change is available within the scope you selected.

Warnings

• Source reviewed at Android main 12e2c164 and Linux main 42cc0c23, rechecked on 2026-09-08. No hardware, codec, offline or DST acceptance is claimed. Android WebView and Linux module-webview paths are excluded from the native campaign statements.

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